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The top leaders of South Africa’s ruling African National Congress will meet next week to discuss the fate of one of its top officials facing criminal charges, deliberations that could have a major influence on the party’s internal power dynamics.
Ace Magashule, secretary general of the ANC and one of President Cyril Ramaphosa’s main rivals, appeared in court on November 13 to face charges of corruption, fraud and money laundering related to an audit contract issued while he was prime minister of the Central Free State. Province.
Magashule has said that he is innocent and has refused to comply with a party resolution that states that all officials facing charges must voluntarily vacate their posts.
Magashule’s case will be discussed at a meeting of the ANC’s National Executive Decision-making Committee to be convened on November 27 or November 28, Jessie Duarte, the party’s deputy general secretary, told reporters in Johannesburg on Friday.
The panel will also discuss how to deal with other officials facing charges, including Bongani Bongo, a former state security minister who refused to resign as a legislator.
“The unfortunate reality is that several people are accused so that they can be removed from their positions and that someone else can take over,” Duarte said.
“Then there are people who have done wrong, but the rule of law is that you are innocent until proven otherwise. We would like the ANC to remain in the perspective of political morality, ”but the party must also ensure that justice is served, he said.
Magashule, which oversees the day-to-day running of the ANC. He has publicly undermined Ramaphosa and his departure could help the president consolidate control over the deeply divided party.
Ramaphosa, who took office in February 2018, has defended the crackdown on embezzlement of state funds that took place during the nine-year rule of his predecessor Jacob Zuma.
Duarte denied that the case against Magashule is stoking tensions within the ANC and declined to comment on its future. In the future, party officials will have to make full disclosure on their financial affairs and point out any conflicts of interest, he said.
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